Completion of Major Quest given to the party by Fumwa during The Congress at New Torlynn: Do what you can, find his (Bahl’s) tower, search for the scrolls, destroy as much of his evil as you can. ALL 1000 xp

Found the tower (check)

Searched for the Scrolls (check) Kingsley 400 xp

Destroyed a ton of evil (check) Fenn 400 xp

New quest(s) given by Tarsal’s Hitch

The necromancer Bahl is no more, his evil magic will no longer twist this land and birth demons. No more shall the regal creatures that have walked this earth be woken from their restful sleep to serve in his dark plans. As I die here this day, I know my soul will find peace, but I regret that I was not able to completely rid this plane of Bahl’s terrifying influence. If you are reading this than you are pure of heart and here for a noble purpose. Do what I could not. Unlock Bahl’s evil contraption(check) and free the great tree Apiaris, find the beekeeper Ursamage. They will know where I have hidden the stardust scrolls, you must destroy the scrolls before a new evil can rise to threaten this world.

And Now:

The party is very deep underground. They were facing a high possibility of death when they destroyed the Orrery in the laboratory of the tower of the Necromancer Bahl. The central tower collapsed in on itself. Much of the stone, wood, iron, and the complete contents of the central tower fell 1 km straight down a shaft that appeared to be smooth bored directly into the depths of the world. The party was falling with the debris, clutching on to stairs, and large chunks of floor. The pieces of the tower continued to smash into each other and the sides of the mine shaft splintering as it fell. The chunks of tower actively broke into smaller and smaller sections and hit the adventurers like shrapnel and crushed players between large pieces. After having traveled 300 – 400 meters the players were plucked out the the air by giant bees that had been freed from their prison in the tower. The bees fought mightily to slow the players’ decent by beating their wings at double speed until they found a protected ledge deep in the mine shaft on which they deposited the party.

The Giant Bees sped off down a large cave after depositing the party. END SCENE

DM Notes:

#1 I need to give more obvious clues to continue the story. Why don’t you tell us the movie you want to see – Kramer

#2 Give clearer quests that don’t leave so much room for players to interpret. I will try to be more deliberate when quests are given, and try to give you more ability to ask questions of the quest givers.

Bahl’s Tapestry Room

This is part of an ongoing campaign ‘Mead and Monsters’.

On the walls of this room are 5 large tapestries 20′ tall x 10′ wide.

Tapestry 1: This Tapestry shows 5 wizards atop 5 tours. 1 wizard is controlling the weather. 1 wizard is controlling the creatures of the earth, 1 wizard is raising mountains and moving the seas. 1 wizard bringing forth forests of trees and great stretches of grass lands. 1 wizard is displayed larger than the rest and is raising up creatures from the underworld.

Tapestry 2: This tapestry shows the people of the three lands being driven out of the central land (freefolk) to the extremities of the East and the West. Great battles rage at the Pinch and near Nie Faraian.

Tapestry 3: The third tapestry shows the 5 towers at war with each other. It shows the land of the Freefolk laid to waist as endless battles rage the towers of the other 4 wizards are at the beginning of crumbling and all the power is flowing towards Bahl’s tower.

Tapestry 4: Bahl sits in the center of this Tapestry controlling the weather, the land, the simple creatures of the earth, and legions of undead. They are challenged in only one small corner of the land. Mountains have been thrust up around a single giant tree in the shape of a bee hive, bees and bears are retreating into it.

Tapestry 5: This tapestry is only half-finished, from the direction the others were headed, you can determine that it is meant to depict Bahl commanding over all the lands, the fey and fell worlds, hades, and numerous outer planes.

Goblins, Guards, & The Gruggle

Wrap up January 26, 2018, Entering the tower and defeating the Zombie Lord

Reconnaissance 1

Bernardo sets the scene through his spyglass.

Fenn flies around as an Owl.

Ambush the Scouting Party

The party is caught in a giant murdering hobo dilemma. Having gained superiority over Goblins and Hobgoblins the simple solution is to just slaughter and question until you get the information you can and dispatch the remains. This conflict in the group leads to poor planning and poor results. The group attempts to come up with non-lethal solutions, but doesn’t quite get there. All (each) -500 xp

Reconnaissance 2

Bernardo disguises as a Goblin and checks out the huts and the caves.

Invisible Thalmas checks the back of the tower.

Approaching the Camp & Entering the Stone Pillar

Bernardo as Disguised Goblin with sanctuaried Kingsley, Fenn in Cloak of Orcishness, and Invisible Thalmas enter the stone pillar.

Keomi dispatches the Goblins.

Orm and Erick observe at a safe distance.

DM Note: This campaign was very clunky because of my inexperience with giving the players options. The result was exactly what was needed for the story line and very much in context with what the fact that a fraction of a Goblin Army lost and starving is truly is no threat to your current quest or the things you hold dear and protect. Many more clues should’ve been given, but the main missing piece of the puzzle was that the Goblins and Orcs at the back of the pillar had strict orders to keep anything from coming out of the cave, and if they were overwhelmed to raise the alarm. The absurdity of a goblin on a rope going into the Gruggle pit followed by a dead goblin floating on it’s own into the pit was enough for them to let slide a few extra humans heading into what they imagined was certain death.

For advancing the storyline, for realizing the Gruggle was a huge threat (not jumping into the pit), and getting past the guards without raising an immediate alarm. All (each) 3500 xp

The Cave Grell

Bernardo see the first set of Tentacles and Kingsley reels him in. Kingsley 50 xp

Keomi climbs around the dome avoiding the Grell, but loses a rope. Keomi 50 xp

Fenn comes up with a temporary solution, capping the Grell pit with a large disk made from Shape Stone. Fenn 200 xp

The Puzzles

Bernardo solves the puzzles. 200 xp

DM Note: These puzzles should’ve been better described as necessary to furthering your progress and more interactive for multiple characters to get involved. DM will need to cast Stamina Spell instead of Cloudy Head Spell All 100 xp

The Zombie Lord

Kingsley hopes to save 7 frozen adventures, is saddened to realize they are dead, but through circumstance saves his own party from a very dangerous situation Kingsley 200 xp

Kingsley deals with strength loss, chooses to buff and remembers Strength of One doesn’t just have to be his strength on others Kingsley 100 xp

Keomi turns tragedy into triumph. In tripping and falling he avoids the flaming mass of zombies on the stairs and removes the ranged and future threats culminating in a Stun / Kill attack. Keomi 300 xp

Harold’s fathers raised chickens and made a comfortable living selling eggs in the market. One thing Harold learned at an early age was that were there are chickens, there are bound to be rats. Rats love eggs and feathers and scraps that the chickens leave behind.

From an early age Harold was taught to hunt rats. One year he kept a running total of his number of kills by putting notches in the chicken coop wall. His total that year from Solstice to Solstice was 412 dead rats. It turns out that as much as rats love eating the feathers off chickens as they sleep, chickens love eating rats they are left dead in the coop.

As soon as Harold could be out on his own, he left the farm and ran straight to the city believing that urban life would be glamorous and free of the noise and stink of the chickens, and most of all free of rats. When he got to the city he got a job sweeping the floor and clearing dishes at a small inn and had a cot in the wood shed in the back. Harold couldn’t have been happier, until one day the Inn Keeper came to Harold and gave him a small sword and said, “I need you to go to the basement and clean it up, rats have started coming in from the horse stables next door, and they are eating all of our grain.” Harold dropped the knife, threw off his apron and ran. He ran out the door, down the street and kept on running. He didn’t stop until he had gotten as far from people and rats as he thought he could. That is when Harold met the Druids.

Harold learned the ways of the Druids and learned that all creatures have a place in the balance of nature. He even convinced himself that rats were a necessary evil and they too had a place in the natural world.

One day Harold met a Priest and Ranger in a tavern and got swept up into a quest to save a small town from eternal winter caused by an unknown force emanating from a nearby Keep. They entered the Keep, and the first thing they encountered, – giant rats. They fought more rats in the pantry and down the hallways. They wound their way through the keep an icy thrown and Harold’s first ever boss battle. What horror would he face? What fate had cursed him that it would be a wear rat permanently transformed, wearing a bone crown and calling himself the Ratling King.

At this point the gods should’ve said, “enough”. They should’ve blessed Harold with the ability to cause paralyzing fear to any scurrying rodent – the word should’ve been spread to every hole that a disease laden scavenger crawls out of – that Harold was a rat slayer. However, the rats continued to appear in every adventure that he went on. There were screwed rats and burned rats and decapitated rats.

Harold became a very powerful Druid, one of the strongest in the land. He had proven himself so worthy that the forces of nature the Fey and the Fell gave him great power. An epic quest came to him as his abilities took on a whole new level of strength. He was trudging through the retched swamps with his companions. He endured many days of cold, wet, torturous half frozen, half mud terrain, with cockatrice forever flying overhead watching their progress, flame spurts, and quick sand that could swallow a horse.

A storm had been brewing for days overhead and when a large cluster of foul rodents of unusual size ambushed the party. Harold had had it. He jumped onto a rock and threw his hands to the heavens that clouds had set in low and began to swirl around the sky. “I am sick of the Rats!” he exclaimed. So great was his ambition to use his newly granted spell and rid the party of this horrid curse that he called down all the power he had created in 6 successive quick lightning bolts. The strikes hit their marks to the astonishment and confusion of the rest of the party. Explosions broke the landscape and shrapnel of trees, mud and rat flesh covered everything with 50 yards. Harold collapsed to the ground.

When he woke the next day, he realized his party had built a sling and was trudging through the swamp with him as another of their burdens. It took three more days for him to travel on his own strength and 5 before he could focus well enough to ask the wilds to grant him spells.

During his recovery, a tree sprite came to him one evening while on watch and warned him, the greater power you command, the great your restraint must become. Harold did learn to control the gifts that nature gave him and he never again had to fight another rat.

The Elm Tree Inn. On the bank of the Crystal River. Inn Keeper Xigmad is always ready with a hearty stew, a stout ale and tale of adventure.

The Feast: Xigmad has invited the heroes of Torlynn to a feast to mark the grand opening of The Elm Tree Inn. He’s butchered six goats and openeda cask of ale that he set to brew when he first came to New Torlynn. The food is hearty. The company is good. Orm and Erik arrive late to the dinner and explain that they could not find Pines to deliver the message that he was requested in New Torlynn. Freya had traveled into the Dark Wood where she usually can find him, stayed for a few days but Pines was no where to be found. She told Erick that it was not unheard of for him to disappear around the full moon and says she would know if he was in real trouble.

Battle of the Bards: As the dinner is winding down Xigmad jumps up on the table and says and now for some entertainment ! “You there scrawny looking Bard — I challenge you to a Battle of the Bards !” The entertainment was raucous and lively and at the end of the mock competition, Xigmad congratulated Bernardo and told him he was welcome to join him in song any time he was in town.

Presentation of the Quest: Eventually Fumwa stands and gets the attention of the table.

I suppose I ought to tell you all why I wanted you all here and I’m afraid I cannot delay this any further. I believe the news is grave and there are few that I can find who will listen. The River Kingdoms are growing fat and forgetting about the ancient horrors that used to roam this land. Deep in the chambers below the Commandry Abbey the followers of the Lord of Light have for centuries locked away, buried, and when possible destroyed countless evil relics that we have been able to find, buy or steal. Some of these items have begun to become active. Some have just unearthed themselves, a very few have found their way out of our control and been found in the hands of rogues and pirates in the great city of Isadora. Someone is calling to these evil creations. Something far worse than Orcs must have found it’s way back into our lands.

Most of the relics that are coming back to life were acquired more than 500 years from a rogue who told us they came from the caverns under a tower. He described the tower as a 6 magnificent white spires reaching many stories into the air and poised on top of a mountain that was nearly impossible to climb. When the relics started appearing we searched for any information we had on this tower and came a cross a very old painting and a caption that took our best linguists to decipher. It says, “Where the Eastern Range Meets the Southern Shores, with peaks insurmountable Bahl reigns supreme.”

With further digging in our libraries we found a few tidbits about who we believe to be the Evil Wizard Bahl, he specialized in Necromancy and had legions of unholy creatures at his command. Our church was in it’s infancy when his influence over the lands was the greatest and all our records come from a Monk named Tarsals Hitch. He evidently had a set of scrolls that Bahl wanted dearly because they spoke of an evil far more insidious than him and the fear was should he discover the names of the evil he would be able to bring it back to serve him. We need to know if Bahl has returned. We need to know if he found the scrolls. We fear that more evil has come to our lands and we need to extinguish it. Do what you can, find his tower, search for the scrolls, destroy as much of his evil as you can.

Bring us back proof so that we can convince the powers that we need to fight against this evil.

Fenn Ackerley

Persistence with the animal form, disabling then dispatching an orc as a war dog BONUS: 100 xp

Help perform the sacred ritual of Initiation: 350 xp

Quality Audio work on the voice over BONUS: 100 xp

Speak with Entwise 500 xp

Learn about past, present, future tense.

Observe the slowing of time while speaking with the Ent.

Begin to understand the layering of messaging from the great tree

Total 1550 xp

Pines

Help Secure Torlynn from the stinking Orcs +500 xp

Exploding Nat 20 to send an arrow through the eye on one orc out the back of his head and into the carotid artery of the Orc Behind BONUS: 200 xp

Feeding the Beast +700 xp

After the orcs were defeated Pines apologized to Burgomaster Decoy that he had to leave, but he had some business elsewhere that required immediate attention. He then traveled to visit the Witch that lived south of Freehold hoping that she might be able to give him a way to stop the curse. She said that she didn’t have the magic to stop the curse, but that she had some herbs that could keep the wolf from being permanently transformed. She gave to him a small vial of aconite with instruction to take it on the morning of the full moon and again when he awoke from transformation. She only had a small amount, 3 or 4 treatments, the tincture is made from the stamens of the flowers that prevalent in the grasslands of the Free Lands but only blooms for a few days in early spring. Before he left the witch issued a stern warning to be very careful with the Aconite, it could kill him instantly if not exactly prescribed.

Dearth then traveled North and visited with Bejorn where he warned him not to hunt in the Dark Wood around the turn of the moon. Worried for Freya’s safety he acted aloof and distracted when she made a point of sitting near him during the dinner Bejorn insisted he stay for before he continued North.

Dearth spent the next three months in the woods studying the orcs and learning their habits, killing them if they ventured too close to the Free Folk. Leading up to each full moon he would set traps and lure large groups of Orcs into the deeper wilds where he would be ready to prey on them should the urge hit him.

Month 1

Pines dispatches 20 Orcs before the beast is fed. He struggles back to small lean-to where he takes a few days to recover and survives the Aconite that he spiked his mushroom stew with (rolled 90).

Month 2

A storm rages overhead on the night of the full moon and Dearth does not transform (5 on d20).

Torlynn Congress

The Feast: Xigmad has invited the heroes of Torlynn to a feast to mark the grand opening of The Elm Tree Inn. He’s killed two goats and opened a cask of ale that he set to brew when he first came to Torlynn. The food is hearty. The company is good. Orm and Erik arrive late to the dinner and explain that they could not find Pines to deliver the message. Freya traveled into the Dark Wood where she usually can find him, stayed for a few days but he was no where to be found. She says it is not unheard of for him to disappear around the full moon and says she would know if he was in real trouble.

Battle of the Bards: As the dinner is winding down Xigmad jumps up on the table and says and now for some entertainment ! “You there scrawny looking Bard — I challenge you to a Battle of the Bards !” — KAZOO TIME ! After a couple rounds of “Play That Tune” Xigmad declares that Bernardo is a force to be reckoned with and welcomes him to join him in playing to the guests of the Inn anytime.

Presentation of the Quest: Eventually Fumwa stands and gets the attention of the table.

I suppose I ought to tell you all why I wanted you all here and I’m afraid I cannot delay this any further. I believe the news is grave and there are few that I can find who will listen. The River Kingdoms are growing fat and forgetting about the ancient horrors that used to roam this land. Deep in the chambers below the Commandry Abbey the followers of the Lord of Light have for centuries locked away, buried, and when possible destroyed countless evil relics that we have been able to find, buy or steal. Some of these items have begun to become active. Some have just unearthed themselves, a very few have found their way out of our control and been found in the hands of rogues and pirates in the great city of Isadora. Someone is calling to these evil creations. Something far worse than Orcs must have found it’s way back into our lands.

Most of the relics that are coming back to life were acquired more than 500 years from a rogue who told us they came from the caverns under a tower. He described the tower as a 6 magnificent white spires reaching many stories into the air and poised on top of a mountain that was nearly impossible to climb. When the relics started appearing we searched for any information we had on this tower and came a cross a very old painting and a caption that took our best linguists to decipher. It says, “Where the Eastern Range Meets the Southern Shores, with peaks insurmountable Bahl reigns supreme.”

With further digging in our libraries we found a few tidbits about who we believe to be the Evil Wizard Bahl, he specialized in Necromancy and had legions of unholy creatures at his command. Our church was in it’s infancy when his influence over the lands was the greatest and all our records come from a Monk named Tarsals Hitch. He evidently had a set of scrolls that Bahl wanted dearly because they spoke of an evil far more insidious than him and the fear was should he discover the names of the evil he would be able to bring it back to serve him. We need to know if Bahl has returned. We need to know if he found the scrolls. We fear that more evil has come to our lands and we need to extinguish it. Do what you can, find his tower, search for the scrolls, destroy as much of his evil as you can.

Bring us back proof so that we can convince the powers that we need to fight against this evil.

The Wretched Swamp

Travel down the Crystal River: Fumwa hires a boat to take the party down the Crystal River. The Old Wood to the East is haunting and dense. The trees are just beginning to wake and plumes of pollen are shot out from the base of trees. The party stops at the edge of the Retched Swamp and the Old wood and begins it’s journey.

Cockatrice Nest

The travel is very difficult on the edge of the swamp and the party makes very slow headway. It is the beginning of the melt and some ground is frozen, other has softened and the players fall into the muck often. The colors are unnerving. Bright Reds and deep blues with many many rust tones. The plants of the swamp are twisted and thorny.

The Cockatrice Nest. The party hears a piercing cry ‘cocka coo’ and the head of a cockatrice rising from the marsh it spreads it’s wings and lifts to the air in a threatening manor. An answering cry sounds from the bushes behind the party.

The cockatrice has tons of quills on his tail that have little barbs that work their way into your skin and travel under your skin towards your heart. If it makes your heart… petrification.

Start with a nesting pair.. unless they REALLY want a Cockatrice Egg they can easily avoid the Nesting Pair.

At a later time in the swamp introduce a group of Fledgling Cockatrice fighting for territory and looking to prove themselves with their peers.

Three Terrors of the Wretched (Fire Swamp)

Flame Spurts: There is a loud pop pop pop, 3 flame spurts come out of the ground.

Lightening Sand: Know who is in the lead, first 1,2 or 3 people fall into the lightening sand

The party comes across Téa for the first time and has to make a hard decision.

Worg Patrol

While the party is traveling the encounter a 10 Goblins on Worgs with 2 Bugbears. The Goblins are not expecting to run into anyone. They’ve been on this patrol for a month and not seen anything worth investigating.

The party comes upon a small pool in an open patch of land. On the edge of the pool 12′ tall carving of a gianthead comes out of the ground. Out of the mouth of the Giant Head a continuous waterfall runs falls 5′ into the pool keeping the waters active.

The water is drinkable. Actually very refreshing. If they linger at the pools edge, they might have the pool ripple. If they are very perceptive they might hear a tiny deep chuckle as if someone was being tickled 50 feet underground. If they enter the pool the earth will shake anyone near the pool needs to roll dexterity or fall in. The water is harmless, but if you don’t know how to swim, you might lose your breath or start choking, especially heavily armored individuals.

Téa emerges from the Wood

Any one who is observing the surrounding woods has a chance at getting a glimpse Téa. She could appear in one location in one instant, then very soon after in a totally different place. Observers may think that she is She appears in a form similar to a young woodland elf. Téa has a bright aura making it hard to really get a good view of her features.

Eventually she ventures out to meet the party in the form of a small elven female.

If the party draws weapons they will have to save for spells or she will make the individual believe that their weapon has turned into a creature that they fear.

She addresses the party “I will give you my name and I will know yours. You shall call me Téa and give me the news that brings you to this grove.”

At some point she forms her hands into prayer slightly bows and throws her arms high above her head. The ground shakes. The head statue closes it’s mouth and the water fall stops. It starts to rise out of the ground, the pond uprights and spills it’s contents (including any heros) – Roll Dexterity for small damage. As the head rises, you can see shoulders, a torso appears from what used to be the pond and legs rise underneath the humanoid figure that is covered in moss and small plants. The creature stands at least 60 feet tall.

The party stands amazed, gathers itself from any toppling that they took part in.

The figure sits down cross legged and lowers it’s hand for Téa. She sits on the hand and the creature brings her up to his lap. She hands the creature a flower.

She sternly warns the party they are out of their depth. She encourages the party to forget this quest and go mine gems from a nearby cave .. she lights the way through the woods. She can sweeten the offer however she needs to see if she can flip one party member. She questions the quest they are on and ask how they know that they are doing it for heroic reasons. She questions if the quest giver was of the upmost reliability.

When the party decides that they will continue their quest Téa leaves everything vanishes – the golem, the pool, etc.. leaving only the open land. The entire party feels re-freshened as if they had had the best night sleep, they are clean and feel bathed, and invigorated for the rest of the day.

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